Biometric system to keep tabs on prison visitors in India’s Central Prison

The Coimbatore Central Prison in India will implement a biometric system to track visitors in an effort to crack down on the transfer of contraband items and enforce visitation rules, The Times of India reports.

Without the biometric system, many visitors use fake addresses and names to exceed the prison’s weekly visitation allowance of one visit per week.

Authorities hope that the new biometric system will help reduce the volume of contraband items being transferred to the prison, which are believed to be largely facilitated by unidentified visitors.

After the implementation of the system, visitors will be required to show their voter identity cards and drivers’ licenses to enter the prison complex. Then, using a web cam, photos of visitors will be taken, and their addresses, names and fingerprints will be recorded.

As previously reported in BiometricUpdate.com, prisons in Alabama implemented fingerprint scanners to verify visitors are who they claim to be, and make the visitation process more efficient.

If a prison visitor comes to meet a prisoner more than once a week using a different address or false name, the system will alert the prison staff, and pull up details of the person’s last visit.

The system is currently implemented at Palayamkottai Central Prison as a trial, and will be rolled out to Vellore, Coimbatore and Trichy Central Prisons in phases.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  fingerprint scanner  |  prison  |  security